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Al-Tammemi AB, Barakat M, Al Tamimi D, Alhallaq SA, Al Hasan DM, Khasawneh GM, Naqera KA, Jaradat RM, Farah FW, Al-Maqableh HO, Abuawad A, Othman B, Tarhini Z, Odeh H, Khatatbeh M, Akour A, Aljaberi MA, Kolozsvári LR. Beliefs Toward Smoking and COVID-19, and the Pandemic Impact on Smoking Behavior and Quit Intention: Findings from a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan. Tob Use Insights 2021; 14:1179173X211053022. [PMID: 34866951 PMCID: PMC8637701 DOI: 10.1177/1179173x211053022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between smoking and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is still topical with mixed epidemiological evidence. However, the pandemic may affect people's beliefs toward smoking as well as their smoking behavior and quit intentions. Considering high smoking rates in Jordan, our current study aimed to assess the following domains in a community-based sample from Jordan: (i) the beliefs that surround smoking/vaping and COVID-19 and (ii) the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan from March 9 to March 16, 2021, utilizing a web-based structured questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 13 items on sociodemographic, health, and smoking profiles, 14 items to assess beliefs surrounding COVID-19 and the use of combustible cigarettes (CCs), waterpipe (WP), and electronic cigarettes (ECs), and 12 items to assess the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. RESULTS Of 2424 survey respondents who participated in our study, there were 1163 never-smokers, 1044 current smokers, and 217 ex-smokers. The mean age of participants was 35.2 years (SD: 11.06). Most participants have reported anti-smoking beliefs with around 72.9% believed that WP smoking is related to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Also, 71.7% believed that smoking CC may worsen the COVID-19 clinical course, while 74.1% of respondents believed that smoking has no protective effect against COVID-19. During the pandemic, about 28.1% and 19.3% of current smokers reported increased or reduced smoking, respectively. Besides, 459 current smokers have expressed their plans/intention to quit smoking during the pandemic, of whom 27.5% (n = 126) confirmed that the driving force for their decision is a COVID-19-related reason, such as self-protection (n = 123) and protection of family members (n = 121) which were the most cited reasons. Also, around 63 participants have successfully ceased smoking during the pandemic. However, only 22 of them reported that the main driving motivation of their successful quit attempt was the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION Most participants' beliefs and attitudes were against smoking during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the double-edged effect of the pandemic on smoking habits should be carefully considered, and reliable anti-smoking measures should be strengthened and sustained in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ala'a B Al-Tammemi
- Department of Family and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Muna Barakat
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Dua'a Al Tamimi
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Princess Muna College of Nursing, Mutah University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sami A Alhallaq
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonology, King Hussein Medical City, Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Amman, Jordan
| | - Dima M Al Hasan
- Department of Dental Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Ghena M Khasawneh
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Khalil Abu Naqera
- Department of Health, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Jordan Field Office, Amman, Jordan
| | - Raghad M Jaradat
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Hussein Medical City, Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Amman, Jordan
| | - Fadi W Farah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Basheer Hospital, Jordanian Ministry of Health, Amman, Jordan
| | - Hindya O Al-Maqableh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Alaa Abuawad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Bayan Othman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Zeinab Tarhini
- CAPTuR Laboratory, Control of Cell Activation in Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance, Limoges, France
- Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, GEIST, Limoges, France
| | - Hamza Odeh
- International Medical Corps (IMC), Amman, Jordan
| | - Moawiah Khatatbeh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Amal Akour
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Musheer A Aljaberi
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Taiz University, Taiz, Yemen
| | - László Róbert Kolozsvári
- Department of Family and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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